Syllabus
English 3950/5950 Evolution of Film, Fall 2023
T 5:00-7:45 p.m., Arts & Sciences 366
Professor
Dr. Alex E. Blazer
478.445.0964
Office Hours: TR 12:30-1:45 p.m. and T 3:30-4:45 p.m., Arts & Sciences 330 and Microsoft Teams, appointment preferred
The undergraduate and graduate catalogs describe ENGL 3950/5950 as "A survey of the historical development of film as a modern visual medium." We will look at the evolution of film from early moving image technologies to contemporary iterations of film-based media. We will chart the history of film from a global perspective by surveying major historical events, technological innovations, and artistic movements while also viewing films from these respective time periods and considering their cultural, aesthetic, and social contexts. In addition, we will read and consider the trajectory of cultural criticism and academic scholarship on the history of film. Our primary textbook, Thompson, Bordwell, and Smith's Film History, will introduce us to the beginnings of film and the silent era; experimental, documentary, and classical Hollywood film; national film industries and global film culture; and film in the digital era. Undergraduate assignments include an annotated bibliography, a scene analysis, an historical influence paper, a research paper, and a take-home exam. Graduate student assignments include a teaching presentation, a book review, an historical influence paper, and a research paper.
This course's topics include
- Major historical, technological, economic, and aesthetic developments in global cinema from 1895 to present;
- Development of narrative filmmaking as well as experimental and nonfiction traditions;
- Trajectories of national cinemas and their relationships to economic infrastructures and artistic movements;
- Historical criticism of film and how it has developed in popular, artistic, and academic cultures; and
- Major questions and problems that shape conceptions and revisions of film history.
As a result of completing this course, students will
- view, discuss, and write about a broad array of films produced in varying time periods and national contexts using a historical framework;
- trace the historical development of film production and exhibition technologies and practices;
- survey the major artistic movements of national and global cinemas;
- consider the development of major film cultures and their social and economic infrastructures; survey seminal historical criticism of film from a global perspective; compose written description and summary of films and their historical situation and significance; and
- compose informal and formal written analyses of films from a historical perspective; conduct individual research as part of composing written analyses.
Skills practiced in this course include
- conceptual and critical thinking;
- analysis, synthesis, and evaluation of information;
- written and oral communication;
- teamwork; and
- time management.
Our democracy needs citizens who can comprehend and assess complex issues presented across a wide array of media and who can judge and mediate distinct, divergent perspectives. Employers desire graduates who can write and communicate well; who can analyze, synthesize, and evaluate information; who have organizational, time management, and teamwork skills; and who appreciate diverse viewpoints. The courses and programs in the Department of English, which is the cornerstone of a liberal arts education, will help you practice these skills and become a lifelong learner and informed citizen.
This courses prerequisite is sophomore standing. This course is required for the Film, Media, and Culture Concentration of the English Major and fulfills the Post-1800s Topic in the Literature Concentration of the English Major. It counts as a 5000-level course in the MA and MFA degrees.
required textbook
Thompson and Bordwell, eds., Film History, 5th ed. (Amazon or University Bookstore)
required course packet
required films
Battleship Potemkin | Archive (Eisenstein, 1925, 75 min)
Bicycle Thieves | Library (De Sica, 1948, 89 min)
Close-Up (Kiarostami, 1990, 98 min)
Fireworks | YouTube (Anger, 1947, 14 min)
The Blood of a Poet | Archive (Cocteau, 1932, 55 min)
The Grand Illusion | Library (Renoir, 1938, 113 min)
The Haverstraw Tunnel (American Mutoscope Company, 1897, 1 min)
M | Archive (Lang, 1931, 109 min)
Memories of Underdevelopment | Library (Gutiérrez Alea,1968, 97 min)
Meshes of the Afternoon | YouTube (Deren, 1943, 14 min)
A Night on Bald Mountain | YouTube (Alexeiff and Parker, 1934, 9 min)
Partie de Cartes (Lumiere, 1895, 1 min)
La Pointe Courte | Library (Varda, 1955, 86 min)
Ramona (Griffith, 1910, 17 min)
Star Wars | Library (Lucas, 1977, 123 min)
Stranger Than Paradise | Library (Jarmusch, 1984, 85 min)
Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans | Archive (Murnau, 1927, 95 min)
Tangerine | Library (Baker, 2015, 97 min)
Titicut Follies | Library (Wiseman, 1967, 84 min)
Ugetsu | Library (Mizoguchi, 1953, 96 min)
The Vanishing Lady (Méliès, 1896, 3 min)
recommended textbook
MLA Handbook, 9th ed. (Amazon)
recommended films
Black Girl (Sembène, 1966, 55 min)
Titanic | Library (Cameron, 1997, 195 min)
Touki Bouki (Mambéty, 1973, 91 min)
Assignments and Grade Distribution
3950 Undergraduate Student Assignments
annotated bibliography, 10%
You will research scholarly journal articles or book chapters on a selected film, annotate them, and select the best article for the class to read and discuss.
scene analysis, 15%
You will pair up to analyze a 2-3 minute scene from a film a 5-6 formal page paper and 7-10 minute presentation.
historical influence paper, 25%
In a 5-6 page essay, you will explore how a later film is influenced by an earlier film or film issue in the history of film.
research paper, 25%
You will write an 8-10 page research paper on a film or film issue.
take-home exam, 25%
The 8-10 page take-home essay exam will test your understanding of selected topics within the history of film as well as sample films' place within the history. Here's how to calculate your final grade.
5950 Graduate Student Assignments
teaching presentation, 15%
You will sign up to compile an annotated bibliography of an assigned fim and teach the class the film.
historical influence paper, 25%
In an 8-10 page paper, you will explore how a later film is influenced by an earlier film or film issue in the history of film.
book review, 25%
In an 8-10 page paper, you will summarize and evaluate, appreciate and interrogate, a book of film history.
research paper, 35%
You will write a 12-15 page research paper on a film or film issue and present your work-in-progress paper to the class. Here's how to calculate your final grade.
Technology
We will use the course site for the syllabus schedule and assignment prompts; supporting documents include an attendance record, a course grade calculation spreadsheet, FAQ, a GeorgiaVIEW walkthrough, a guide to literary analysis, a research methods guide, and paper templates. We will use GeorgiaVIEW for assignment submission and the course packet; if you experience technical issues with GeorgiaVIEW, contact the Center for Teaching and Learning at ctl@gcsu.edu or 478.445.2520. Check your university email for course-related messages. Use an online backup or cloud storage service to not only save but also archive versions of your work in case of personal computer calamities.
Attendance
Because this liberal arts course values contemporaneous discussion over fixed lecture, regular attendance is required. In courses that meet two days per week, there will be a one letter final grade deduction for every unexcused absence beyond three; furthermore, any student who misses seven or more classes for any reason (excused or unexcused) will be dropped from the course and fail. In courses that meet one day per week, there will be a one letter final grade deducation for every unexcused absence beyond two; furthermore, any student who misses four or more classes for any reason (excused or unexcused) will be dropped from the course and fail. I suggest you use your skip days both cautiously and wisely; and make sure you sign the attendance sheets. Habitual tardies, consistently leaving class early, texting, and web surfing will be treated as absences. Unexcused absences include work, family obligations, and scheduled doctor's appointments. Excused absences include family emergency, medical emergency, religious observance, and participation in a college-sponsored activity. If you have a medical condition, extracurricular activity, or job that you anticipate will cause you to excessively miss class, I suggest you drop this section. The CDC COVID isolation and exposure calculator can be found here. The university absence policy can be found here. You can check your class attendance record here.
MLA Style and Length Requirements
An import part of writing in a discipline is adhering to the field's style guide. While other disciplines use APA or Chicago style, literature and composition follow MLA style. Assignments such as in-class exams, discussion board responses, informal/journal writing, and peer review may be informally formatted; however, formal assignments and take-home exams must employ MLA style. One-third of a letter grade will be deducted from a formal paper or take-home exam for problems in each of the following three categories, for a possible one letter grade deduction total: 1) margins, header, and heading, 2) font, font size, and line-spacing, and 3) quotation and citation format. A formal paper or take-home exam will be penalized one-third of a letter grade if it does not end at least halfway down on the minimum page length (not including Works Cited page) while implementing 12 pt Times New Roman font, double-spacing, and 1" margins. Each additional page short of the minimum requirement will result in an a additional one-third letter grade penalty. Before you turn in a formal paper, make sure your work follows MLA style by referring to the MLA style checklist. Feel free to use these templates that are preformatted to MLA style.
Late Assignments
We're all busy with multiple classes and commitments, and adhering to deadlines is critical for the smooth running of the course. There will be a one letter assignment grade deduction per day (not class period) for any assignment that is turned in late. I give short extensions if you request one for a valid need at least one day before the assignment is due. I will inform you via email if I cannot open an electronically submitted assignment; however, your assignment will be considered late until you submit it in a file I can open. Because your completion of this course's major learning outcomes depends on the completion of pertinent assignments, failing to submit an assignment that is worth 15% or more of the course grade within five days of its due date may result in failure of the course. Failing to submit a final exam or final paper within two days of its due date may result in failure of the course.
Academic Honesty
The integrity of students and their written and oral work is a critical component of the academic process. The Honor Code defines plagiarism as "presenting as one's own work the words or ideas of an author or fellow student. Students should document quotes through quotation marks and footnotes or other accepted citation methods. Ignorance of these rules concerning plagiarism is not an excuse. When in doubt, students should seek clarification from the professor who made the assignment." The Undergraduate Catalog and Graduate Catalog define academic dishonesty as "Plagiarizing, including the submission of others' ideas or papers (whether purchased, borrowed, or otherwise obtained) as one's own. When direct quotations are used in themes, essays, term papers, tests, book reviews, and other similar work, they must be indicated; and when the ideas of another are incorporated in any paper, they must be acknowledged, according to a style of documentation appropriate to the discipline" and "Submitting, if contrary to the rules of a course, work previously presented in another course," among other false representations. As plagiarism is not tolerated at GCSU, "since the primary goal of education is to increase one's own knowledge," any student found guilty of substantial, willful plagiarism or dishonesty may fail the assignment and the course. This course uses plagiarism prevention technology from TurnItIn. The papers may be retained by the service for the sole purpose of checking for plagiarized content in future student submissions.
Writing Center
Writing consultants will work with any student writer working on any project in any discipline. To learn more about Writing Center locations, hours, scheduling, and services, please visit here. Send questions to writing.center@gcsu.edu.
Required Syllabus Statements
Additional statements regarding the Religious Observance Policy, Assistance for Student Needs Related to Disability, Student Mental Health, Student Rating of Instruction Survey, Academic Honesty, Student Use of Copyrighted Materials, Electronic Recording Policy, Academic Grievance or Appeals, and Fire Drills can be found here.
- Readings will be in either Thompson, Bordwell, and Smith's Film History: An Introduction (FH) or the course packet (GeorgiaVIEW).
- Film links provide availability on streaming services. Films marked Library are available in the University Library.
- This schedule is subject to change.
Week 1 |
T, 8-22 |
Syllabus Acknowledgement and Questions Part One: Early Cinema (FH 1-2) Chapter 1 The Invention and Early Years of the Cinema, 1880s-1904 (FH 3-21) Chapter 2 The International Expansion of the Cinema, 1905-1912 (FH 22-43) Chapter 3 National Cinemas, Hollywood Classicism, and World War I, 1913-1919 (FH 44-68) Partie de Cartes (Lumiere, 1895, 1 min) The Vanishing Lady (Méliès, 1896, 3 min) The Haverstraw Tunnel (American Mutoscope Company, 1897, 1 min) Ramona (Griffith, 1910, 17 min) |
Week 2 |
T, 8-29 |
Part Two: The Late Silent Era, 1919-1929 (FH 69-70) Chapter 4 France in the 1920s (FH 71-84) Chapter 5 Germany in the 1920s (FH 85-100) Chapter 6 Soviet Cinema in the 1920s (FH 101-21) Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans | Archive (Murnau, 1927, 95 min) Battleship Potemkin | Archive (Eisenstein, 1925, 75 min) |
Week 3 |
T, 9-5 |
Chapter 7 The Late Silent Era in Hollywood, 1920-1928 (FH 122-44) Chapter 8 The International Trends of the 1920s (FH 145-66) Part Three: The Development of Sound Cinema, 1926-1945 (FH 167-8) Chapter 9 – The Introduction of Sound (FH 169-84) M | Archive (Lang, 1931, 109 min) Ryan, "Fritz Lang's Radio Aesthetic: M. eine stadt sucht einen mörder" (GeorgiaVIEW) |
Week 4 |
T, 9-12 |
Chapter 10 – The Hollywood Studio System, 1930-1945 (FH 185-208) My Man Godfrey | Library (La Cava, 1936, 95 min) Greene, "A Proper Dash of Spice: Screwball Comedy and the Production Code" (GeorgiaVIEW) |
Week 5 |
T, 9-19 |
Chapter 12 – Cinema and the State: The USSR, Germany, and Italy, 1930-1945 (FH 228-46) Chapter 13 – France: Poetic Realism, The Popular Front, and the Occupation, 1930-1945 (FH 247-64) |
|
T, 9-26 |
Chapter 14 – Leftist, Documentary, and Experimental Cinemas, 1930-1945 (FH 265-82) The Blood of a Poet | Archive (Cocteau, 1932, 55 min) A Night on Bald Mountain | YouTube (Alexeiff and Parker, 1934, 9 min) Williams, "Body and Blood of a Poet" (GeorgiaVIEW) |
Week 7 |
T, 10-3 |
Part Four: The Postwar Era, 1945-1960s (FH 283-4) Chapter 16 – Postwar European Cinema: Neorealism and its Context, 1945-1959 (FH 309-26) Bicycle Thieves | Library (De Sica, 1948, 89 min) Celli, “The Legacy of Mario Camerini in Vittorio De Sica's The Bicycle Thief (1948)" (GeorgiaVIEW) |
Week 8 |
T, 10-10 |
No Class: Fall Break |
Week 9 |
T, 10-17 |
Chapter 17 – Postwar European Cinema: France, Scandinavia, and Britain, 1945-1959 (FH 327-42) Chapter 18 – Postwar Cinema Beyond the West, 1945-1959 (FH 343-64) |
Week 10 |
T, 10-24 |
Chapter 19 – Art Cinema and the Idea of Authorship (FH 365-84) Chapter 20 – New Waves and Young Cinemas, 1958-1967 (FH 385-419) La Pointe Courte | Library (Varda, 1955, 86 min) Graf, "The Wild Palms in a New Wave: Adaptive Gleaning and the Birth of the Nouvelle Vague" |
Week 11 |
T, 10-31 |
Chapter 21 – Documentary and Experimental Cinema in the Post War Era, 1945-Mid 1960s (FH 420-49) Part Five: The Contemporary Cinema Since the 1960s (FH 450-1) Meshes of the Afternoon | YouTube (Deren, 1943, 14 min) Fireworks | YouTube (Anger, 1947, 14 min) Star Wars | Library (Lucas, 1977, 123 min) Keller, "Frustrated Climaxes: On Maya Deren's Meshes of the Afternoon and Witch's Cradle" |
Week 12 |
T, 11-7 |
Chapter 23 – Politically Critical Cinema of the 1960s and 1970s (FH 474-511) Memories of Underdevelopment | Library (Gutiérrez Alea,1968, 97 min) Miller, "Memories of Underdevelopment, Thirty Years Later: An Interview with Sergio Corrieri" Recommended: Black Girl (Sembène, 1966, 55 min) |
Week 13 |
T, 11-14 |
Chapter 24 – Documentary and Experimental Cinema Since the Late 1960s (FH 512-43) Chapter 25 – New Cinemas and New Developments: Europe and the USSR Since the 1970s (FH 544-78) Titicut Follies | Archive | Library (Wiseman, 1967, 84 min) |
Week 14 |
T, 11-21 |
Chapter 26 – A Developing World: Continental and Subcontinental Cinemas Since 1970 (FH 579-608) Close-Up (Kiarostami, 1990, 98 min) Recommended: Touki Bouki (Mambéty, 1973, 91 min) |
Week 15 |
T, 11-28 |
Part Six: Cinema in the Age of New Media (FH 642) Chapter 29 – Toward a Global Film Culture (FH 679-96) Stranger Than Paradise | Library (Jarmusch, 1984, 85 min) |
Week 16 |
T, 12-5 |
Chapter 30 – Digital Technology and the Cinema (FH 697-727) |
Finals |
T, 12-12 |